For perking up a bland wall or dark corner in a garden, consider planting a woody vine. There are endless combinations of vines, trees, trellises and other supports to create new interest, says Karla Lynch, manager of horticulture education at The Morton Arboretum.
"Often you don't need much space for vines, like you would using shrubs, and you can train vines to go over or flatten out across a wall," says Lynch.
Vines cling, twine and climb in different ways. Do your research to pick a support that helps a vine do what it does best.
Vines need varying degrees of maintenance. Lynch spends a fair amount of time each year pruning and grooming her vines, especially the "Amethyst Falls" wisteria (Wisteria frutescens "Amethyst Falls") growing on a lattice-topped fence.
"Wisteria requires an annual pruning and very sturdy supports that have concrete footings," says Lynch, who is training the wisteria branches to grow horizontally so she can better enjoy the long, slender purple blossoms.
Not all vines grow as exuberantly as wisteria. Climbing hydrangea is one of Lynch's favorite woody vines for its large, flat clusters of white flowers in summer. Climbing hydrangea uses rootlike appendages to stick to the surface. It's a hefty plant, so Lynch advises to let it grow up a mature tree trunk, brick wall or sturdy wooden fence.
Clematis climbs with twining leaf stems, called petioles. Give clematis a metal trellis or other wiry support, advises Lynch.
"In the wild, it wraps around branches of trees and shrubs, with its roots shaded and its top in brighter light. Try it by a twiggy shrub, like a lilac." She likes Jackman's clematis (Clematis jackmanii) for its dark purple flowers.
For free information, call the Plant Clinic at 630-719-2424 or search "woody vines" at the "Plant Advice" link at mortonarb.org. Laurie Casey is a staff writer at The Morton Arboretum in Lisle.